Comic-Con Armitage?

Richard Armitage at his microexpressional best: as Heinz Kruger in the car chase scene from Captain America. This is going to be such a pleasure to watch in slomo cap once we have the blu-ray files.

I was reading Vanity Fair this week while breakfasting and saw this article about the most recent ComicCon in San Diego (where Captain America was screened, and where we speculated that Richard Armitage might appear, though he did not). James Wolcott is a brilliant writer. Neat observation about celebrity behavior at the event. The piece is an attempt to recreate the atmosphere of the huge setting, especially the largest convention venue, Hall H. Wolcott observes that the sneak previews hold everyone’s attention, but that the celebrities are a mixed bag:

“There are those who bring a full compartment of charisma, such as Colin Farrell … whose movie-star walk converts every drab stretch of corridor into a red carpet, and Charlize Theron, sarcastically reminding everyone that she’s ‘an Oscar-winning actress,’ so don’t mess with me. But there are others who look as if they’re being tugged on a leash of contractual obligation, their hello handwaves employing minimum wrist effort. … Still others have been through this charade so many times before at so many different festivals that they can’t fake it anymore, such as that weary campaigner Kristen Stewart … who hunched semi-sideways through much of the panel. … The returning favorites are those who truly speak the Comic-Con language because they are part of that culture, not simply doing a parachute drop. Pop lore and gothic gore are the garlic air they breathe. … no one had thicker rapport … than producer-director Guillermo del Toro, who didn’t talk of cinema strictly in terms of product, technique, and toys-for-boys but of gargoyle archetype and devouring appetite…” (p. 170 of print edition).

Richard Armitage as Heinz Kruger in Captain America. The way the shadows catch the architecture of his eyebrows make him look doubly villainous here.

In turn, this article reminded me of a post from one of my favorite professorial blogs from earlier in the summer, about attending a Comic Con in Chicago to get an autograph from Julie Benz:

Stewart won’t, no matter how much I cajole him, be rude about Trekkies, the more – shall we say – obsessive breed of devotee.”The ‘loony fans’, as you call them, are a tiny minority who are given far too much significance by you and your colleagues,” he rumbles. “Our fans range from ex-Secretaries of State in the States – and at least two Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – numerous senior political figures, and academics in their legions. I know one vice-chancellor of a university who set his meetings around Star Trek episodes.“

Of course, there’s also the maxim that they don’t pay actors to make the film, they pay them to promote it. So I found myself wondering if this is the sort of thing that Richard Armitage will do one day. He’s certainly capable of talking about his roles in interesting ways, and also of appearing like an ordinary guy. But is this the kind of thing he’d be willing to obligate himself to do contractually? It seems like part of the territory with this kind of film. But I can’t imagine he’d like it all that much. In fact, I sort of imagine that he’d dread it.

***

Dear Mr. Armitage,

As always, I support you doing exactly what you want to do with your life and your career. But if doing this sort of thing makes you unhappy or uncomfortable in any way, I beg you not to do it, even for the sake of politeness. My feelings will not be hurt.

Fame is certainly a double edged sword, especially for people like RA who are quite private. As much as things like red carpet appearances, award nights and ComicCon give us more opportunites to see him other than in a performance, I agree with your viewpoint, servetus. I also find myself conflicted about the prospect of fame for him on a much larger scale. On the one hand I am happy for him, getting the recognition he deserves because of his wonderful talent and hard work. But on the other, I find myself rather possessive of him, my own delicious secret. ;)! Well, not just mine…!!

Becoming famous as a person/celebrity is almost as important when it comes to “being a name” then being famous through his work. I suspect he will try and shy away from that aspect as much as possible but appearing at something like comic con, that is a lot less glamorous then the Hollywood circus, and doesn’t ask to reveal a lot about his private persona might be a good thing to do.

BTW am I right that the one and a half minute of the video contain every moment he is on screen? I know his scene is ten minutes long but I guess most of the time he is either in the background or not on screen at all.

That’s a good point, Jane. The kind of contact in a setting like that is really so formalized — you stand in line, you say, “I loved you in Captain America,” he signs whatever it is you want signed, and the next person follows you. It would be tiring but potentially not so awful as spontaneous conversations.

I think I’d be more comfortable meeting him in a formalised setting like comic con, where the parameters for actor and fan are set. It would be entirely acceptable to ask RA for an autograph in these circumstances and he has agreed to sign by taking part. Tiring for him yes, but his privacy is maintained and I in turn would be soooo happy 🙂

I wasn’t actually thinking about meeting fans more about getting his name out a little bit because that is part of the job. Appearing everywhere helps to get a mention in the press and the more often someone is mentioned by the press the more people remember him and may think he’s famous and a movie with him might be worth seeing. 😕

I remember reading an interview with Bono in which he said something along the lines of as a fan he’d rather not bother his idols. I guess you have X amount of people who think they are your biggest fan and HAVe to say something and get an autograph it would make it difficult to get through the day. Yet what is the best way to approach someone? Not approach them at all? I don’t really have an answer. Just posing the question.

I’m afraid that I would be too shy to approach Mr. Armitage for an autograph and such.

A few years back, Jane Seymour came to our town to speak about philanthropy and her work with UNICEF. I was in the line to meet her, but as I chatted with others I knew in line, I found myself moving back in the line. I never did pluck up the courage to meet her. I greatly admired her work on Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and that she also worked for UNICEF. So, I hope she didn’t think that I didn’t want to meet her. I was just too shy to do so.

However, since I’m a much bigger fan of Mr. Armitage, my shyness would expand to the 100th degree. And if I were to go to a premiere where he was expected and stand in the crowd, I would probably stand way in the back–content with possibly seeing him in person, and maybe making brief eye contact with him before smiling at him and then shyly lowering my eyes.

Though with my arthritis, I wouldn’t be able to stand for long in the crowd after probably having to walk some distance to get there–and I would be seated in a chair of some kind. So, I probably wouldn’t get to see him anyway. But, my friends I was with would take his picture for me from where they were standing. So, I would have that for a memory.

Cheers! Gratiana ;->

P.S. I guess my biggest “brush with greatest” was shaking an unknown Barack Obama’s hand during his Illinois senatorial campaign stop in our city as I clutched the Time article about him in my hand. President Obama was earnest and sincere then in his remarks to those in attendance about his hopes for Illinois and the country. And he carries that hopefulness and quest to improve our country with his work as President now.

I couldn’t just approach him when he’s out and about in RL, as much as I would love to. Like gratiana, I’d probably try to make eye contact and smile at him, which would hopefully convey that I recognise him, but choose to leave him alone. Failing that, do you think gazing upon him from afar, preferably unobserved by him, could be classed as stalking? LOL Oh, who am I trying to kid, I’d be a blithering mess!

I don’t know, either. I think there are a lot of people who think they just *have* to say something and I often feel like that — with me it’s the issue specifically of writing a letter. I struggle with that a lot. There was a point this summer when I was convinced that I was going to break my iron rule about no contact. Luckily Judi talked me out of it.

I know what you mean Servetus,
I struggled with actually submitting my birthday letter to RA via Callie’s book of messages, because I wrote from my heart. And baring one’s soul even a smidgin like that is scary–however respectfully I maintained myself I hasten to add. You want the other person to know that you admire them and wish them well.

Perhaps it’s because I lost two dear friends this past year–Emma who was older and unwell so it wasn’t expected, but Donna’s death was completely unexpected. But both deaths threw me for a loop. I had been in more contact with my 80+ year old friend Emma more so than with Donna. And I chastised myself for letting the hurry of everyday life interfere in my making contact with Donna. I’m actually working on a post for my blog that is essentially the eulogy that I would have given for Emma, had I been asked to do so.

Any way, both deaths reminded me again that life is precious and can be taken away in an instant. So, I always try to make sure that I give others–my hubby, family, friends (online and in person) encouragement and praise, however well I know them. Or in the case of Mr. Armitage–whom I don’t know at all–wish him well on his birthday. My letter to him is the only “fan” letter I have ever written or sent. And it will probably be the only one.

Cheers! Grati ;->
P.S. And in the year since Donna passed, my husband and I take her husband out for lunch monthly–we had done some couple’s things before and known each other. I think Donna would want us to keep up our friendship with her husband–and we will.

I’m sorry ot hear of your losses and glad that you’re preserving the remnants of these relationships.

Just so you know: I’m not critical of anyone who *does* write to him. I know the feeling of having something I just *have* to say. It’s just that there are certain rhetorical rules in place in my mind that make this blog possible, and if I wrote to him, I’d probably eventually have to stop writing this blog. But writing the blog is emotionally necessary for me right now. If I ever get to a point when it’s not, then maybe I’ll write to him and take the risk of not being able to write here any more.

Writing a birthday letter to RA in callie’s book would have been something I’d love to have done, even though I’ve never writtten to a crush of mine in all of my fifty + (cough) years. It seemed “safe” somehow, and respectful, but I’ve been slow to get into these blogs, so missed out unfortunately *sigh* Now I think the opportunity to write has passed, and I’ll just continue to express my admiration for him here.

I don’t know that opportunity has passed — actually, if you want, I’d write *now*, or at least before The Hobbit has appeared. I figure the real window to write to him and have a chance that he’d see it will end once The Hobbit premieres.

Hi Gratiana, leaving a message/letter in Callie´s RA birthday book was a whole struggle for weeks, whether I should participate or not. My position changed repeatedly from elation to no harm is done in doing so to total refusal. Finally I wrote a letter in German, and translated it ( it would have been probably a bit more easy choosing the words only in German!!), and posted it actually 5 min before (or after?) deadline. It was an exertion of force, as it was nearly morning. Afterwards I felt totally weird and unsettled. I haven`t viewed that letter again ever since. But in a certain way I`m glad now that I took heart.

Servetus, I´m quite relieved that even you sometimes have that feeling of “I just have to tell RA” (in a letter). As I never wrote a letter to a person unbeknown to me, it still agitates me that this strong impulse keeps on coming off and on. But this emotions have to go somewhere else……until further notice 🙂 ..besides it is emotionally necessary to be a little part of Armitageworld.
Sigh, I´m so much more a talkative person than I am a writer. Maybe this is one of many reasons why I´m here, to improve my writing skills and learn from you all???

I think that Richard Armitage has touched us so deeply with his heart felt, heart warming, and heart stopping character portrayals that we/fans are simply responding to me positively and constructively through our blogging and chatting and vidding and fan fictioning and such about him. That’s my rationalization, anyway. Ha!

And from Mr. Armitage’s interviews and his sponsorship of charities, he seems like a genuinely kind, warm, and gentlemanly individual. So who better to admire as an actor and fellow human being on the planet than him? Oh there are others to admire, but I think it’s fine and dandy to admire him, too.

Cheers! Grati ;->

P.S. I feel blessed with the friendships that I’ve forged across the RA fandom spectrum. These girlfriend contacts have really enriched my life. And I view chatting online very postively as a return to the written form of correspondence that took root with the pony express (an early version of post office delivery in the U.S. via tag team riders on horses that traversed the country). And blogs, such as with blogs here and elsewhere, they promote a form of “journaling” that is both fun and cathartic. So, don’t worry about over analyzing yourself and just have fun along with the rest of us. ;->

Dear Gratiana, thank you ever so much for your kind words! I´m a bit emotional today, but now feeling much better, even almost fine and dandy!!! 🙂
It´s utterly worth the effort to overstep one´s limits every now and then.

I totally have the feeling that there are things I *have* to say. It’s better or worse at different times but it’s something I think of a lot.

In the end, I come back to the fact that as the writer of this blog, I need to be able to have certain intellectual freedoms that I feel like I wouldn’t have if I wrote to him. But who knows, the time may come when I break that boundary, too.

I know what you mean. Personally, I would find discussing Mr. Armitage as an artist different were Mr. Armitage to respond to my birthday letter to him–even in a form letter generated by a computer database merge file kind of way.

It must be so difficult for public figures to maintain any level of privacy and I would not want to breach that and add to his burden. And, I would want to keep the letter as a memory just for myself.

I totally respected Callie for not going into detail about her private conversations with stars at the Old Vic’s 24 Hour Plays Gala last November. She made the right call.

For me, it harkens back to what is courteous and compassionate to the other person. And I like to think that I treat others as I wish to be treated myself–with kindness and understanding.

I’d add to that that the definition differs for almost everyone. Some are comfortable writing a letter, other write thousands of words on a pseudonymous blog. My big campaign in Armitageworld is going to be to get us to stop judging each other for having different standards of what’s acceptable.

COMIC Con! (Geraldine says, please g** NO!) However, actors do have to pay bills and the tax-man too. Only, we’ve been here, done that, with the action stuff, and 10 minutes (was it really 10? must have blinked) in CA. Action Hero in SB, which was very good; but after Thorin, something again different, please – producers, are you listening? An axe-murderer? (just joking) Speaking from a nationalist pov, Dr. Norman Bethune? A thoroughly complex man, and a bit of a hero….

I actually the people who’d be most interested in obtaining Armitage’s autograph in a setting like ComicCon would be Hobbit fans. As Patrick Stewart’s career has developed, he now has I think three separate roles that fit in this category. Maybe the current fad for fantasy / comic films will fade.

‘There are ways and means’, as we are all well aware) So, there is no danger in fame. There are ‘ways and means’ to keep a distance from its consequences being incredibly famous, to be noble enough being generous to fans and still to be capable to remain in shade, in the same time. That’s what we call in Russian being ‘intelligensia’ person (almost untranslatable word!), in the very Chekhov’s sense. There are lots of approved recipes how to behave. I see no harm in such a position. Who really cares about ‘red carpet’ thing if there is a real (red?) professional career unfolding ahead, up to horizon! He seems to be a Chekhov kind of man, a gentlemen (apparently), he’ll find his own ‘ways and means’ (evidently).
P.S. As for the fanvid by GuyTheGunslinger I’d prefer to keep silent. Video is probably not so bad. But the meaning (!): 10 minutes of fame? It seems to be even less then 15 minutes of fame promised to everyone of us by Andy Warhol in 1968))) Is it what anyone of you may call a success?!
P.P.S. Please, someone, tell me the final truth: is having an autograph of a person you admire is so important in terms of admiration? I’m just wondering…)))
Have a good night!

Re: red carpets — as I keep saying, he should do what he wants (or feels he needs to do). My point was simply that now he’s in the category of people who might be asked to expected to appear at events like these, and I wonder how he’ll react, and then I tried to extrapolate based on things he’s said in the past. My point was not to criticize him. In terms of fame: he’s the one who seems to be troubled by certain aspects of it, as his interviews indicate repeatedly.

I assume for people who do this specifically as fans of Mr. Armitage, that it’s an aide-mémoire — they ask for his autograph if they meet him as a souvenir of that experience. Then, too, there are people who collect autographs, who would want to add to a collection, perhaps of all the Captain America leads or all the dwarves in The Hobbit. I don’t question other people’s motives — I’m only interested in interrogating mine.

re the video: I assume it’s a reference to the fact that his appearance in the film was so short, not intended as a prediction. I thought it was visually very good for an amateur vidder.

Oh, gosh! I seem to sound offensive here in all possible ways ((( I guess this is to do with a language (which is not my native and which is ‘a boundary of a subject’s world’)
Sorry everyone who felt offended. Sincerely!!! I’ve meant no harm to anyone!!! But I’m still trying to come to the point
1) ‘red carpet’ thing. I understand all you are saying. Therefore:
a. Of course, he should do as he wish.
b. Since August I’ve read almost everything I could find of anything RA has said ever since the beginning of his carrier. So, I’m informed. Well, I guess, he could be frustrated on a public event. But this is his professional duty. And nothing could be done to escape it. Period
2) an ‘autograph’ thing. What can I say after all. I see now, it’s an important sort of object. Very guilty, I’m
3) ‘video’ thing. I’ve said everything I wanted. I’ll try to translate from Russian-English to Russian-English (hopefully, a meaning will not be misunderstood again).
a) Richard Armitage acted brilliantly in the movie, for all 10 min and somewhat of a second given to him.
b) I consider his part in CA humiliating: his outstanding talent was evidently turned down by stupid Hollywood bosses.
c) the very video piece was ‘not so bad’ (as a said) – nothing less, nothing more.
Good night

If you want linguistic tips 🙂 (I’m not sure you do, but as a teacher I have a hard time staying away from them), don’t ask rhetorical questions (questions whose answers are implied to be known already to both asker and audience). Doing that in English tends to raise people’s hackles if they don’t already agree with you.

re: CA — he only got cast by accident, at the very end of filming, I believe. I don’t think his talent was ignored; they obviously hadn’t even considered him until the casting person saw his face on a billboard in London during the Strike Back broadcasts.

I think the size and nature of the part in CA is not “humiliating”, it shows precisely where he is in the pecking order – pretty much at the bottom and mostly suitable for a part a stuntman could have done. But it is still better than not being in any movies at all. It isn’t about how talented he is or isn’t but how much clout he has. He may have been cast by accident but that he thought it was worth it shows were he sees himself in the pecking order. After all, it wasn’t something that was completed in a few days but required a months of scuba diving and swimming training and performing stunts that were torturous for him.

Just look at some of his CA co-stars like Dominic Cooper or Hayley Atwell – unlike RA they already are in the pool of British actors that do get cast in movies, they already have done some movie roles and it is no surprise they get more and got bigger parts in this movie then RA. I had both of them on the radar for years and observed that they are rising fast and wondered why they get cast cast in movies and RA doesn’t.

What PJ did, obviously inviting tons of actors to auditions, relatively well known names as well as those without movie experience like RA or even complete unknowns, and make a decision based on those auditions and not on previous work, is a rare thing and RA can consider himself very lucky it has worked for him. Another director would have cast DC and HA.

I see no problem with RA doing a Comic-con for several reasons. First, there is no stigma attached to it like the old days when an actor if he wanted to be known as an “artiste” wouldn’t dare lower himself to such a venue. Today this venue is widely acccepted and a good way to keep your face in front of the masses. As you said Patrick Stewart does cons; he’s pointedly said he owes his comfortably living to sci-fi and fans. David Tennant attended two years ago and he had a ball.

Secondly, it is a formalized setting. RA would not get mauled by fans. Security is tight and RA could have as much exposure as he chose. Plus he really needs the expoures to become well known in the US.

Thirdly, RA needs practice in becoming comfortable with meeting fans and talking with the press. His star will rise with the Hobbit, so he really needs to learn to take things in stride. A formalized con where he can say a bit, smile and autograph actually would be perfect for him.

Completely agree. Maybe next year, that should be a good date to start PR for the hobbit in earnest. It is fine to rely on the strength of his performance but it wouldn’t harm him to be a little more visible for fans and media. He had a prominent position next to MF at the press conference, he did lead the Maori ceremony and obviously Thorin was the biggest elevation of all, but to date this is hardly reflected by the press. If he doesn’t push himself forward a bit, it will all be about Orlando Bloom.

I agree with you Jane about RA needing to ramp up his personal publicty a bit to capture the U.S. fans more.

His Project Magazine photo shoot was phenomenal! But,it was primarily for iPad users. Thanks to the tech goddesses who made it available to the rest of us.

And RA’s Captain America red carpet appearances were quite good. I loved the ease and confidence he exuded at the NYC premiere. Though I would have liked to see bigger media outlets interview him. One would have thought that the CA producers would have capitalized on RA portraying Thorin and line up some cross promotional publicity interviews for him.

And finally, althought the Recognise Magazine photos seem okay–except for that middle picture in the triptych that I elongated on my own to make him look less square headed–RA is playing a Dwarf, not a Troll, Ha!–there have been no sightings of the magazine and subscribers are angry.

So, RA if you are looking for some new publicists who will at least attempt to place you with interviews in the main stream media, look no further than your fans. Ha! Did I mention that my M.S. degree is in Communication? Ha!

Judiang, you make some good points, especially the last one. Do you think though that RA would care if it did all end up being about Orlando Bloom?
IMO he doesn’t appear to be interested in fame, only about working in good challenging roles. Maybe you can’t have one without the other. Certainly the PTB would want him out promoting their movies. So far Richard seems to do what is necessary in the way of publicity and no more, not being one for pushing himself out front and centre. I hope he has good people at his back. I just want him to be happy and fulfilled.

I think fame is helpful when it comes to getting the best roles. To establish himself it is incredibly important what he does next respectively over the next few years and it will help if he is someone the audience recognizes. He may end up being the guy from the Hobbit and still no-one knows who he is. Look at Orlando Bloom – he gets hired and paid lots of money because he is OB and everyone knows who he is, not because he is such a good actor.

Jane, I agree with you that what RA does over the next few years will be important. Thorin is a high profile role, but the character is almost unrecognisable as Richard Armitage. I think he would have to maintain quite a high profile as Armitage himself to counteract this. But in the end, it all gets back to what it is that Richard wants, and as much as we speculate, only he knows in his heart just what that is, and if he is prepared to do what it takes. There is an interesting observation by “anonymous” over on RANet who talks about Gregory Peck and how Richard compares to actors of that generation. (Being a recent newbie I hope I haven’t broken any rules by quoting from another site! I don’t know how to put up a link )
There is the celebrity fame of the likes of Orlando Bloom and Brad Pitt, on one hand, and on the other, the distinguished, character driven career longevity of Gregory Peck, Sir Alec Guiness (as previously mentioned somewhere in this blog) et al.

Mezz, I don’t think he’s after fame either and agree he wants more challenging roles. But a way to have access to those roles is to have a high recognition factor so producers will want to offer him those roles. Unfortunately the producers with the money are in the US. I say unfortunately because there’s an entrenched tendency to be copycats rather than trailblazers in Hollywood.

it’s actually my impression that he wouldn’t mind if it ended up being about Orlando Bloom, and that perception was at the basis of my comments wondering how he’d feel. At the same time, it’s true that if he wants to continue to get great roles like this a little more self-promotion would help him an awful lot.

Did it seem to anyone else that when he took the glasses off he suddenly slimmed down? He really did look like a corn-fed mid-western boy, maybe a college line backer, in those first few seconds when he introduced himself. Then when he was running through the store and down the street he looked much thinner.

I don’t think it’s that he doesn’t want them to ask, I think it’s that he doesn’t enjoy it when they do — there’s a subtle difference. I don’t think he’d ever go on record as saying “stay away from me.” If he did, he’d trigger massive anger.

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